LEVERETT — In an effort to raise enough money to replace its leaky roof and purchase an emergency generator, the Leverett Village Co-op has launched a “Raise The Roof” fundraising campaign and is currently seeking donations from local residents.

According to Corina Barrett, the co-op’s IT and membership coordinator, the campaign is designed to help the store prepare itself to remain open to serve the community and prevent the loss of food products if the power were to go out.

“We would love the opportunity to be a “port in the storm” for our community in times of need,” said Barrett, in an e-mail interview. “For instance, during the October snowstorm that left Leverett, Wendell and Shutesbury without power for days, we were ‘kind of’ open and made ‘cowboy coffee’ for weary locals. We would like to expand that to be able to keep them warm and fed.”

Barrett said that the roof is in such poor shape that water has begun to seep into parts of the store.

“The roof needs to be replaced, there’s no way getting around it,” said Paul Rosenberg, the co-op’s general manager. “We’ve got holes, we’ve got rust and it’s really not the proper gauge roof for this type of establishment. It’s more suited to a barn.”

Rosenberg said the store must raise about $60,000 and that $10,000 has been collected to date. Donations can be made through PayPal or Razoo on the Leverett Village Co-op’s Facebook page.